Kensington is a town in the Southeastern corner of New Hampshire in the Seacoast region of the state. The town is situated in Eastern Rockingham County and encompasses a total area of 12 square miles, all but .1 of which is land. As of the 2010 United States Census, Kensington was home to 2,124 people.
The town of Kensington was once a parish of nearby Hampton. It was officially incorporated in 1737 by then-governor of New Hampshire Jonathan Belcher and was named Kensington, after Baron Kensington, the owner of Kensington Palace in London, England. Over the years, Kensington have been home to many notable people, including: Dan Dailey, a well-known glass artist; James Bruce MacQuarrie, pilot of Pan Am Flight 103; Hideaki Miyamura, a potter; and Norma Muscarello, a journalist.
Though the area only contains a small amount of water, it is home to the parts of several bodies of water, including Exeter River, Hampton Falls River, Taylor River Kensington is governed by an elected Board of Selectmen. The town boasts its own full-time police department, a volunteer fire department and volunteer emergency medical services. The area’s biggest employers are Exeter & Hampton Electric, a local electric and utilities provider, and James R. Rosencrantz & Son, a farm and garden equipment company.
Children in Kensington attend Kensington Elementary School for grades kindergarten through fifth. For grades sixth through 12, they attend schools in the nearby town of Exeter, in the Exeter Region Cooperative School District. For recreational activities, Kensington offers residents a number of options, including municipal parks, youth organizations, various youth sports leagues and more. The area is also close to a number of beaches, campgrounds, museums, golf courses and ski resorts. Some additional local attractions can be found here.